upstart
noun
a person who has risen suddenly from a humble position to wealth, power, or a position of consequence.
upstarting
-
present participleof upstart.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hand-clappings, cheers, a stirring of the crowd, and the upstarting of the brass band climaxed the rhetorical peroration, and Elsa glanced anxiously over her shoulder.
From The King of Arcadia by Francis Lynde
It was the signal for a general upstarting from the table, a pushing back of chairs, a gathering around Elizabeth Cornish.
From Black Jack by Max Brand
No; one of the firemen remained to watch over it, and guard against the upstarting of any sneaking spark that might have managed to conceal itself.
From Fighting the Flames by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
Coxcombs need only lines; their opinions are upstarting islands, held together by nothing but emptiness....
From Hesperus or Forty-Five Dog-Post-Days Vol. I. A Biography by Jean Paul
She followed the direction of my eye, stroked down an upstarting frill, and coloured furiously.
From The Lady of the Basement Flat by Elizabeth Earnshaw
